(for 4)

I find that the modern breast of Chicken is too tender for this dish and tends to fall to strings (The method of cooking was intended for the rather tough farmyard cock)
It does however work well with the thighs and drumsticks.

4 Chicken Legs.
110g (4 oz. ) Piece Streaky Bacon
225g(8 oz.) Shallots
110g (4 oz.) Baby Mushrooms
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
Half Bottle Red Wine
Sprig Thyme
Salt and Black Pepper.
Beurre Manie:
30g (1 oz.) Butter
30g (1 oz.) Flour

Leaving the skin on the Chicken pieces fry them briskly in a tablespoon of the oil until they are browned all over. Put to one side.
Cut the Bacon into cubes and fry that in the same pan until likewise browned.Put with the chicken.
Peel the Shallots but leave whole.Cook these in the remaining oil and bacon fat in the pan until also browned then put with the chicken. Do the same with the mushrooms.
Pour most of the fat off the pan and pour in the wine . Bring this to the boil and scrape any stuck juices on the pan bottom into the sauce. Keep boiling until the wine is reduced by half.
Put the chicken, bacon,shallots and mushrooms into a casserole with a lid.
Pour over the reduced wine, add the sprig of thyme and season with salt and black Pepper.Cover the pot with some tinfoil( to seal) and then put on the lid.Set the oven to Gas 2,150C,300F and cook the sealed chicken at this temperature for 1and a half hours.(At the end of this time the chicken should be very tender) Drain off the juices, put them in a little pot and thicken with the beurre manie. (You may have to add some chicken stock if some of the liquid has escaped during cooking)
You can serve this now or it also reheats or freezes well if you add the beurre manie just before you serve.